NINE pensioners including a man aged 99 were evacuated and taken to hospital after a blaze at their nursing home early today.

Firefighters launched an investigation into the cause of the fire at Andrew Smith House, in Marsden Hall Road North, Nelson, which started shortly before 1.30am. Forensic teams were due to go to the home today amid concern that it may have been an arson attack.

Staff at the nursing and residential home were alerted by the fire alarm.

They discovered a blaze which started close to the window sill and dressing table in one of the rooms at the front of the home, although the window was not broken.

The 79-year-old occupant of the room, who staff did not want to name, managed to get himself out uninjured and he and eight other residents from adjacent rooms, who were mainly in their 80s and 90s, were moved outside.

They were later taken to Burnley General Hospital for a check-up after suffering smoke inhalation.

One has been kept in for observation after it was discovered she was suffering from a chest infection.

Lisa Scanlan, manager of the home, said: "I think it looks like the fire was suspicious."

"The residents are all okay and all but one, who is in hospital for something not related to the fire, are now back home. All the residents except the one who was in the room where the fire was, will be able to go back to their rooms today once they've been cleaned. His will need a new window frame.

"When the alarm went off one of the staff saw smoke coming under his door. She banged on the door because we are not allowed to just open the door straight away in case the smoke is bad and it spreads to the other rooms.

"She banged and shouted to him and he said he was fine and got himself out. He is quite mobile, so he was lucky.

"Because of the good training of the staff who were brilliant everyone was out within minutes.

"The others who had to be evacuated were between 80 and 90 years old and there was even one man at 99. They all seem all right.

"We have just had a new extension finished so luckily when they returned from the hospital we were able to put them in nice clean beds.

"We are just wanting to get it back to normal now because it is their home and as soon as everything is sorted again the quicker they will recover from it."

The private home, which has 40 rooms and caters for men and women, is run by Stocks Holds Care Homes Limited.

Fire fighters from Nelson were called to the home at about 1.30am and staff had already started evacuating the residents.

Sub officer Lee Flattery said: "When we got there part of the ground floor was smoke-logged and several elderly people had to be evacuated.

"We helped four of them out of their rooms. We can't say whether the fire is suspicious at the moment because investigations are still pending.

"The fire was only in a small part of the room near his dressing table and involved some fabric and plastic.

"The main danger for the residents was the smoke so that was why they needed to be evacuated as quickly as possible.

"The smoke affected about nine or ten other rooms and the corridor but the fire damage was only to about ten per cent of the bedroom."